Hoops Game Day: Nebraska vs. Indiana

Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-7, 0-4) vs Indiana Hoosiers (7-5, 2-3)

Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021 – 5 p.m. CT

Pinnacle Bank Arena

TV: BTN

Radio: Husker Sports Network

Internet: FOX Sports App

1. Get Walker involved

After going 658 days since playing in his last game, Derrick Walker will finally make his Nebraska debut tonight.

The junior forward and Tennessee transfer is by far the Huskers’ best finisher at the rim in the frontcourt. He’s also capable of being a legitimate scoring option in the pick-and-roll game (something NU has definitely lacked).

Now 24 years old with 64 games of experience at Tennessee under his belt, Walker will provide a dose of on-court veteran leadership that Nebraska desperately needs amid a four-game losing streak.

It will come down to how large a workload the 6-foot-8, 232-pounder can handle physically as he works his way back into game shape, but Nebraska needs to get Walker involved as much as it can tonight.

2. Find your shot

For Nebraska to beat anyone in the Big Ten this season, it’s going to have to shoot better from 3-point range.

The Huskers are currently shooting just 31.5 percent as a team from behind the arc, the third-lowest mark in the conference. What’s worse, only Iowa (332) and Minnesota (332) have attempted more threes than NU (302).

That goal will be easier said than done tonight, as Indiana owns the league’s third-best 3-point defense at 31.5 percent and are only giving up 65.8 points per game.

Having Walker in the fold could help draw defenses into the paint and open up more clean looks on the perimeter. But that won’t change anything if the Huskers continue to miss threes at their current rate.

3. Don’t let Jackson-Davis take over

A preseason All-Big Ten selection and a member of the midseason Wooden Award watch list, Trayce Jackson-Davis is going to fill up the stat sheet more often than not.

However, the key for Nebraska tonight is to keep one of the best players in the conference from completely taking the game over.

The 6-foot-9, 245-pound sophomore ranks in the league’s top five in scoring (fifth, 20.3 ppg), rebounding (third, 9.2 rpg), and blocks (fourth, 1.8 bpg). He’s scored at least 20 points in five of his last six games, including 23 with 12 boards in 49 minutes vs. Wisconsin.

In the Huskers’ two meetings with Indiana last season, Jackson-Davis – then a true freshman – posted lines of 25 points and 15 rebounds and then 18 and 13.

The Hoosiers don’t bring much to the table in 3-point shooting, especially with their best perimeter threat, Armaan Franklin, expected to be out tonight with an injury.

That means most everything is going to run through Jackson. Can NU find a way to slow him down this time?

Indiana (-7) 70, Nebraska 67

Robin’s season record: 9-2

vs. the spread: 8-3